Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8382: Method (1)

Yan Bei gazed upon the island ahead, observing the fierce battles raging across it, and a grin spread across his features. For the first time, he had conquered an entire island by himself, filling him with genuine delight. The operation this time proceeded without a hitch. Initially, the bronze figures shattered the island's defensive array, paving the way for the puppets to advance. The foes evidently lacked sufficient disruption talismans. Though a few had deployed them, the efforts proved futile. Panic soon gripped the remaining defenders. The slyer ones among them had already fled. The others longed to escape too, yet found themselves trapped.

Throughout the assault, they faced scant opposition from start to finish. The adversaries clearly sought aid, but had no clue where to turn. With Pan Qianlong and Yi Xuanming eliminated, the 13 Family Alliance remained without a fresh leader even now. They were utterly at a loss.

This lapse handed them a prime chance. Without lifting a finger, the island fell into their hands. The puppets handled all the heavy lifting, while the rest merely observed from afar. Truth be told, this sensation felt utterly fresh and exciting. It didn't match the thrill of personal combat, but offered a thrilling alternative.

Once the island was secured, Yan Bei wasted no time in dispatching a message to Zhao Hai, urging him to claim it. Meanwhile, he rallied his forces for the subsequent target. Since they hadn't engaged in the fray this round, exhaustion eluded them completely. When Zhao Hai finally arrived, all he found was a thousand cultivators standing watch over the prize.

Zhao Hai held no grudge against Yan Bei's approach. Swift conquests served their cause best. He promptly rallied the array path experts and threw them into feverish efforts to restore the island's barriers. Given that most attackers hailed from the array Hall, Zhao Hai's involvement stayed minimal, slowing the pace a bit. Still, the array Hall members gained invaluable insights, precisely as Zhao Hai intended.

Even before the island's barriers were fully mended, a report arrived from Yan Bei announcing victory over yet another outpost. Zhao Hai reluctantly stationed a skeleton crew to tidy up the site, then hurried his team onward. To his astonishment, they claimed five islands before the day ended. Ultimately, Zhao Hai stepped in directly, directing the reconstruction of defenses himself. Only this way did he match Yan Bei's relentless advance.

Surprisingly, that day's pace wasn't their peak. Over the following ten days, they seized well over a hundred islands. Certain outposts surrendered without a fight; the sight of their forces prompted instant retreats. This turn of events stunned Zhao Hai. He proceeded with caution yet accelerated the barrier setups.

During those ten days, the weary ones weren't Yan Bei or his crew, but the magical formation Hall followers with Zhao Hai. Daily, they erected multiple safeguards per island, leaving them drained. Yet joy filled them, for the knowledge absorbed in that span rivaled a decade's worth from before.

This claim rang true. Skilled array masters proved invaluable assets to any sect. The Blood Slaughter Sect, however, suffered from a dearth of such talents. Though enthusiasm for arrays existed, proper instruction was absent. Sect jade slips on the topic offered some aid, but self-study without mentors yielded poor results. Thus, the Blood Slaughter Sect's array prowess had always lagged.

For the past ten days, Zhao Hai fretted over potential enemy schemes. Maybe the foes aimed to lure them into complacency before striking back hard. To counter this, he reined in their assault tempo by day's end, ensuring Yan Bei and company didn't charge ahead too recklessly.

In truth, Zhao Hai had overthought it. The 13 Family Alliance's delay in appointing a Western Defense line overseer stemmed from indecision among the sects. Both Corpse Demon Sect commanders lay dead. While the Corpse Demon Sect pushed to install another, rival factions resisted. They deemed the Corpse Demon Sect unfit for leadership now, blocking their bid. Each wanted their own representative at the helm.

Yet when alternatives proposed their candidates, the Corpse Demon Sect balked. As the Blood Sea Realm's premier power, they claimed the lion's share in all matters. To them, command was their inherent right; no other sect merited it. Hence, they vetoed every rival nomination.

The Corpse Demon Sect's dual losses hadn't dented their stature in the Blood Sea Realm. Their views commanded respect, stalling negotiations in deadlock. To the top brass of major sects, frontline disciple fates seemed trivial compared to inter-sect maneuvering. This power struggle vacated the 13 Allied Forces' Western Defense line command for over ten days—a crippling blow to their defenses. It enabled Yan Bei and allies to reclaim over a hundred islands.

Faced with this dire turn, sect leaders sensed trouble brewing. Urgent talks ensued, yielding mutual compromises. The Corpse Demon Sect yielded the top spot, allowing others to lead. In exchange, their members took deputy roles with real authority.

Reluctantly, all sects endorsed the Corpse Demon Sect's terms. They hastily assembled reinforcements and rushed to the Western front. Alas, their timing proved tardy. The Blood Slaughter Sect's momentum surged. Confronting their peak-form disciples wouldn't be simple. Above all, the Blood Slaughter Sect's puppet legions had swelled further.

The Blood Slaughter Sect's assaults now relied purely on overwhelming might, strategy be damned. Bronze figures first demolished barriers, puppets then stormed in, and Blood Slaughter Sect disciples mopped up from behind. This routine overwhelmed most 13 Family Alliance-held islands.

Post-breach, bronze figures didn't idle; they swiftly imposed new arrays. These served as defenses while neutralizing prior teleport arrays. Zhao Hai's side, however, retained access via their own portals. The 13 Family Alliance now grasped that Blood Slaughter Sect could strike any outpost at whim. Rushing aid became a nightmare, demanding portable arrays to reach perimeters before advancing. By then, invaders had infiltrated, and bronze-triggered barriers made breakthroughs arduous.

The 13 Family Alliance had mulled counterstrikes on Blood Slaughter Sect holdings. They eyed recaptured islands or undefended ones, mirroring the tactics used against them.

Quickly, though, they saw the futility. Reciprocating Blood Slaughter Sect methods failed; their own assaults on those islands floundered. Blood Slaughter Sect outposts appeared sparsely manned, even deserted at times. Yet assaults proved impossible. The core issue: those defenses stood impregnable. Breaching Blood Slaughter Sect barriers eluded them entirely. How could they claim such fortresses?

This deadlock dragged on for a crucial month. From 500 Western Defense line islands, the 13 Family Alliance forfeited over 400. Barely 100 remained, with losses mounting steadily.

Perplexed and powerless, they watched helplessly. Enemy islands lay beyond reach for attack, and their own defenses crumbled under assault. Though Blood Slaughter Sect cultivator numbers stayed low, puppet hordes compensated with brute force, posing endless torment.

Desperate, the 13 alliances relayed the crisis upward. Major sects convened once more, scrambling for counters to the Blood Slaughter Sect. Solutions escaped them; those puppets remained their gravest woe.

Ultimately, the sects resorted to desperate measures: deploying Island Lord-tier powerhouses to eliminate Zhao Hai and Yan Bei. All Blood Slaughter Sect gains hinged on this duo. Yan Bei spearheaded charges upfront, Zhao Hai fortified rears. Their synergy proved devastating. Removing them would stall the Western front offensive. Thus, they plotted an expert ambush.

Aware that unleashing elites might provoke Blood Slaughter Sect fury, urgency overrode caution. They doubted a full-scale retaliation; would the Blood Slaughter Sect truly ignite war now?

Evidently, past Blood Slaughter Sect boldness slipped their minds. For gain, they gambled with Island Lord-level ambushers on a targeted island. These lurkers would bide time until Yan Bei's force struck, then pounce, snaring both leaders. With them gone, Blood Slaughter Sect threats to the Western line would fade.

Every sect backed this ploy, desperate to secure the Western front. Conquering it marked the opening salvo against the Blood Slaughter Sect. Future schemes awaited, but this initial thrust demanded perfection. Failure would doom all subsequent plans.